Have Your Say on the Future of Your GP Services
From 1st July 2024, Aston Healthcare is proposing changes to how GP services are delivered in Halewood. If approved, the Leathers Lane Surgery and Camberley Medical Centre branch sites will close, with all patients being automatically assigned to Roseheath Surgery.
Aston Healthcare holds a single Primary Medical Services (PMS) contract for the delivery of GP practice services. The practice has a registered population of 21,836 patients, and operates this single contract across 6 GP practice sites locations within Knowsley.
Each of these practice site locations was originally a separate, standalone GP practice prior to respective individual contracts transferring to control of single legal entity (Aston Healthcare Ltd) and consolidation into single practice contract by NHS Knowsley Primary Care Trust in 2006.
Whilst Aston Healthcare registered patients often consider themselves to be registered patients solely of the GP practice site at which they have historically/routinely accessed services, all Aston patients are able to access services at any site.
All sites provide access to patients seeking advice, support in booking an appointment or to request repeat prescriptions throughout core contractual hours (08:00 – 18:30 Mon-Fri) both in person and via telephone/online access. One of the six practice site locations (Camberley Medical Centre) stopped providing face to face patient consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic; all patients have since accessed Leathers Lane Surgery which is based in the Halewood Centre estate.
The pandemic has resulted in a significantly higher demand for services, both face to face, telephone and online services, and like many GP practices nationally, Aston Healthcare is now in a position that to safely maintain services at the current level of demand, can only do so by consolidating services across fewer sites, which maximises the capacity of the workforce. By closing the two sites in Halewood and implement the proposed changes the partners would be able to consolidate these services and increase service provision. This would enable the provision of more focused, safer care, with continuity of services.
Proposed Changes
Aston Healthcare propose to close the two sites located in Halewood (Leathers Lane Surgery and Camberley Medical Centre) and automatically ‘assign’ the patients to Roseheath Surgery, except for those who retain their right to choose to register with an alternative GP practice provider.
The proposal anticipates that changes to practice site-based provision and operating model will enable Aston Healthcare Limited to provide improved patient access, an increase in the quality-of-service provision, a reduction in clinical risk, improved continuity of care and an improvement in patient outcomes.
The two practices involved in this proposed change share the same Partners and are a member of the same group of practices, also known as a GP Federation, called Primary Care Knowsley. The two practice teams (clinical and administrative) within Halewood have been working closely together over the past 2-3 years, and their relationship was further strengthened by the creation of the West Knowsley Primary Care Network. As a result, they deliver several health care services together including the extended access service during evening and at weekends.
If the proposal is successful, we will continue to operate from the Halewood Centre estate, so in reality, patients will not notice any major changes to the service they currently receive.
The aim of the change is therefore to:
✅ Provide sustainable high quality consistent care for our registered patients
✅ Improve access to more clinical staff for patients
✅ Futureproofing the practice with better recruitment opportunities
✅ Futureproof the Practices and provides us with better opportunities to recruit clinical staff
Have Your Say
The views of our patients/carers are very important to us, and we want to make sure we understand them so that they are taken into consideration in the final decision making.
Your feedback will be used to help us to make a decision and to ensure we provide a service that meets our patients’ needs.
You can have your say on the merger using the following methods:
📢 Complete our online questionnaire – Patient Survey – Proposed Changes for Aston Healthcare Branch Sites in Halewood
📌 Comment cards – Available at Roseheath Surgery. Completed cards can be placed in the designated box.
🗣️ Attend a Listening Session – 📅 Friday 28th February
📍 The Halewood Centre | 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
✉️ Email us to request a questionnaire – pck.bookingteam@knowsleyccg.nhs.uk
📩 Write to us – Send your feedback to Roseheath Surgery at the practice address.
📞 Speak to a member of staff – Call the PCK Business Office on 0151 902 0015 to arrange a call back from Managing Partner, Lee Panter. (Please do not call the main practice line, as it is reserved for medical queries.)
Further Information
📃 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Available here or visit our website: Aston Healthcare
🔍 Need this information in another format or language? Contact us at 0151 902 0015 or pck.bookingteam@knowsleyccg.nhs.uk.
⏳ Deadline for feedback: Friday 7th March 2024, 6:30 pm.
Your voice matters – help shape the future of your GP services!